Personifying and Modelling on Love

Personifying and Modelling on Love “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” I Corinthians 13 v 4 It is impossible for people who even just know the true meaning of love to indulge in hate crimes like murder, rape, terrorism, racism and violence against young, women and the old. If people just read the most beautiful chapter ever written in any book on love, they will understand the true meaning of love. Therefore,let us read I Corinthians chapter 13 but wherever the abstract word love occurs, replace it with Jesus- the true personification of love who makes even a child understand what is love. Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self seeking, He is not easily angered, He does not keep any record of wrongs. He does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus never fails. And now these three remain: faith,hope and Jesus. But the greatest of these is Jesus in whom we can place our faith and hope. I am getting to be patient, I am trying to be kind. I try to not envy. I try to not not boast. I try not to be proud. I try not to be rude. I try not to be self seeking. I am not easily angered. I do my best not keep any record of wrongs. I try not to delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. I try always to protect those who are weaker,I try always to trust, always to hope, always to persevere. I try never to fail. And now these three remain: faith, hope and Jesus in me. But the greatest of these is Jesus in me for faith, hope and love are realized in Jesus. He teaches me how to give up my childish or immature ways of reasoning, thinking, talking and reacting. Our final position when we are mature in faith is : Jesus in me is patient. Jesus in me is kind. Jesus in me teaches me not to envy. Jesus in me tells me not to boast about what I have or have done but only about what God has done in me and for me. Jesus in me teaches me to be humble. Jesus in me is not rude. Jesus in me teaches me not to be selfish but to look to the interest of others. Jesus in me is not easily angered. Jesus in me does not keep a record of wrongs or grudges. Jesus in me does not delight in evil but rejoices in whatever is good, noble, pure, praiseworthy, beautiful, just, truthful. Jesus in me always protects those who are weaker, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus in me never lets me fail. Jesus helps me lead a life of love, love for God and love for man. Chapter 13 is not meant to be read but to be lived. Prateep V Philip